Catalysis and inverse electric catalysis in a scalar theory

TL;DR

This paper investigates how external electric fields influence symmetry breaking in a scalar theory, revealing inverse electric catalysis at weak fields and electric catalysis at strong fields across all temperatures.

Contribution

It derives novel expansions for the effective potential in a scalar theory under external electric fields, covering the entire temperature range and identifying different catalysis phenomena.

Findings

Inverse electric catalysis occurs at weak fields, reducing the critical temperature.

Electric catalysis emerges at strong fields, increasing the critical temperature.

The derived expansions are valid for all temperature values.

Abstract

In this article we explore the phase diagram associated to the symmetry breaking of a scalar self interacting theory, induced by temperature and the presence of an external electric field. For such purpose, first we obtain the boson propagator, in the presence of a constant external electric field, both in the weak and strong field strength limits. Novel expansions are derived for the effective potential, valid for the whole range of temperature. We found inverse electric catalysis for the weak field region, i.e. a situation where the critical temperature diminishes as function of the strength of the electric field whereas for a strong field electric catalysis emerges. These behaviors, in the weak and strong intensity sectors, are valid for all possible values of temperature.